SPRING 2009
It's been a long cold winter and spring in Thunder Bay. To keep busy, some of us entered CKC Trials with resounding success. Claire and Eyko got their CD and Cabre earned his CDX at March Trials. Jacki and Bizzy got their CD in February and CDX at March Trials. Trish entered so many things we just couldn't keep track!
A very late spring put a damper on our training and plans to build a deck. We finally managed to get some reasonably good training in and almost finished the deck before our Trial on May 30th and 31st with USA Judge Mike Hamilton.
It snowed, rained and stayed cold most of May making us wonder if we were ever going to be able to track.
A couple of weeks before the Trial, the fields started to show signs of green and by the time the Trial rolled around, the conditions were nearly perfect.
The wind however, was a different story. Four people tracked in what felt like gale force winds with everyone wearing toques and gloves and running back to the vans for more layers to protect against the cold. We tried to convince Mike Hamilton that it wasn't normally this cold in May but he didn't even believe we had a long enough growing season to plant a garden! Hmmmmmm
He did leave 80 degrees in Indianapolis just to Judge in the frigid North.
Jacki, Pino and Claire all passed tracking despite the nasty wind and all three went on to succeed in Obedience and Protection.
Congratulations to Jacki and Bizzy for High in Trial, to Pino and Zeus for his best SchH3 score to date and to Claire and Eyko for their SchH2.
Lol and Frankie and John and Eija passed their BH's with John and Eija going on to achieve their SchH1 on Sunday and tying Jacki and Bizzy for High Tracking with 93.
Great job all around!
After the trial, Mike Hamilton put on a seminar addressing the problems that arise in trials and training which prevent us from getting to the next level.
Thanks Mike for all your help and for a fun, informative and relaxed weekend. Camaraderie and sportsmanship abounded and we all had a great time sitting around the new deck listening to your stories. New deck, what a treat! How did we ever get along without it? Many, many thanks to John Carvalho who put in an enormous amount of time and energy to design and build the deck. Thanks to all the club members who pitched in when they could, to help John. I know he appreciated it even if our work didn't quite measure up to his high standards. Thanks for your patients with us John.
Back to the Trial. A huge THANK YOU to our helpers, John Carvalho and Pino Pucci who make it possible to have trials in the first place.
Our Trial Secretary, Sherrel Pucci needs to know that we all appreciate how organized and efficient she is while also attending to 3 dogs and 4 puppies. She also layed 2 Sch H 3 tracks. Thanks Sherrel, great job!
Thanks also to John for laying the last SchH3 track and the SchH2 track. Much appreciated.
You know we couldn't put on a trial without the contributions made by all the other club members who cooked, cleaned, brought ice, made deserts, brought sausages,cut grass etc. so great job everyone. It was a true group effort.
Lol's cooking was outstanding once again with her mile high lasagna and the best beef stew we've eve eaten.
We would like to welcome Ken Heald back to the club with his female Dutch Shepherd “Trace”.
These 2 are tracking machines.
Our condolences go out to Sharon Smith for the loss of her husband Terry.
For the Sport
Jacki Barnes